Upcoming Dates:
August 26 – September 14
PAC fundraiser
September 5
Labor Day – no school
September 9
Back to School/Saints
Pep Rally
September 9
Skype Session with
Columbia University
September 12—16
Interim Reports issued

August + September 2011

From the Principal’s Pen…Mrs. Jaime Zapico:
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back all of our returning
Taylor students, parents, faculty and staff – further, to welcome all those
new to the Taylor family!
I know the summer flew by for many of our students but we are anxious to
get to work and hit the ground running! Our teachers have been preparing
all summer for this school year and look forward to working with our
students and our parents as well. If there is anything I can assist you with
or answer a question about please do not hesitate to call or email me. I
look forward to building a relationship with all of you and having a
productive and fulfilling school year!
•

September 16
Top 10 Luncheon

•
September 19
Boston College Visit

For the safety of our students please do not drop off or pick up students at
the front entrance of Patrick Taylor. This is the entrance right off of
Jefferson Highway. There is not a teacher on duty and due to the faculty
and staff entering the gate it is extremely dangerous to drop off or pick up
your child in that area.
We have a new grandparents club! If you would like to join, please see
the form at the bottom of this issue.

Let’s keep on the path to success!
September 22
Florida State Visit
September 26
National College Night –
N.O. Convention Center
September 28
Author Heather Brewer visits
September 29
PAC Meeting* –
(TOPS speaker)
*additional PAC meetings
November 10
March 1
April 19

Lines from the Librarian…Mrs. Elizabeth Kahn:
Over the summer I was lucky enough to attend two professional conferences.
One was all about books and the other was all about technology. I have so
many new ideas that I want to implement this year. I can hardly wait.
You can keep up to date about what is happening in the library by visiting the
library website: www.pftstalibrary.com. Or download a QR
reader on your smart phone and find the library here
Our first author visit of the year will be September 28th.
Heather Brewer, writer of the The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
series, will talk to all 8th and 9th graders. She is making a tour
for her new book, The Slayer Chronicles. Books will be sold to interested
students in all grades, and of course the author will be signing those books.
Look for more info in the PFTSTA Paw Prints and on the PFTSTA library website.
If
you
want
more
info
about
the
author
look
here:
http://www.heatherbrewer.com. As always, we want to thank Octavia
Books in New Orleans for this fantastic opportunity.

Here are some reminders about library policies. Books from the general
collection may be checked out for 2 weeks and renewed if needed. Late fines
are 10¢ a day not counting weekends and holidays. Students are responsible
for paying for lost or damaged books. Reference materials and magazines may
be checked out overnight only and late fines are 50¢ a day.
If you want the passwords to our databases, please email
ekahn@pftsta.jppss.k12.la.us or call me at school 838-2249.

me

at

Jefferson Parish Public
School System Web-site
http://www.jppss.k12.la.us

8th graders
Sierra Torres,
Mark Parfait and
Alanah Cottingham
visit Mrs. Kahn’s library
during the Back-toSchool BBQ.
Clearly, Taylor students
are happy to back in the
PFTSTA library for the
2011-2012 school year!

Counselor’s Corner…Ms. Wendy Durant:
Welcome back students, faculty, and parents! I’m so excited
about my return to Taylor. For those of you that may not
be aware, I taught at Taylor for several years as a Social
Studies teacher, and then left to assume a counselor
position at the middle school. I’ve been gone a few years;
however, I’m grateful that Mrs. Zapico invited me back and
I look forward to an exciting 2011-2012 school year!
Hopefully all of you had a restful and enjoyable summer and are now refreshed
and prepared to continue your academic journey! This year several exciting
activities, resources, and support services will be available from the counseling
office.
Please make sure to read the weekly edition of Tiger Talk which will include
useful college and career information for parents/students, as well as
scholarship opportunities, college tips, and useful community resources.
Parents and students, even if you are at the middle school level, familiarizing
yourself with this information early is a great way to jump start preparing for
senior year and college down the road!! Also, all high school students are
invited to attend presentations when local and out of state universities come on
campus to meet with students. Pay close attention to dates and sign-up in the
counselor’s office, in the next few weeks, MIT, Columbia, FSU, Tulane, and
OLHCC will be on hand to meet with Taylor students. Students are responsible
for making up any missed work while at the presentations! Additionally, a new
feature to the Spotlight Senior segment in the weekly Tiger Talk requires
that students guess who the featured senior is, and take a snapshot doing
something Tigerrific with the senior. The first student to email a picture to
wdurant@pftsta.jppss.k12.la.us with the senior wins a prize from the
counselor’s office each week. I encourage all students to participate in this fun
and interactive segment of the weekly newsletter.
In closing, as a reminder the counseling department is up and running for the
2011-2012 school year! Always, please check in with Ms. Kim or Ms. Laura at
the counter first to see if the counselor is available to meet with you right away.
Counseling services at Taylor are designed to assist students, parents, and
teachers to maximize the learning experiences of all students. I look forward to
working closely with all students and families to help support and facilitate
academic, career, and emotional growth.

Open House was a Success:
Open House took place on Thursday, August 18.
It was great to see so many parents turn out for the event.
Parents were able to meet their child's teachers and hear a little synopsis about each class.

PFTSTA is Now Broadcasting:
Patrick Taylor is now on Twitter. You can follow
the school on twitter here: @PFTSTA. If you
want the information, but you don’t want to join
Twitter, you can still visit. Go to Twitter.com
and in the search box at the top, type in
@pftsta. All the tweets from @pftsta will appear.
Check out our pic of the day and more.
We are also posting all of our school photos on
Flickr. You can view the photostream by visiting
the
site
on
the
web
here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pftsta/.
Also, every Thursday at 9:05AM, Mrs. Zapico will
host a short live broadcast highlighting PFTSTA
events and our students. If you would like to
watch the broadcast, you can check it out here:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/pftsta.
Mrs. Zapico demonstrates what not to wear at Taylor on the first live Thursday
Advisory Broadcast. Senior Jeffery Prado is the model.

Back to School BBQ
Former students (8th graders Madison
Pierce, Rayne Torry, Alex Walsh and
Valerie Ruiz pictured at left) and
teachers welcomed new students to
PFTSTA at the annual Back to School
BBQ

on

Saturday,

August

13.

Revelers met in the cafeteria, where
they feasted on food provided by the
Parent Advisory Committee. Many PFTSTA alumni also joined in on the event – still
proud of their alma mater. Though it was hot, spirits were high and it was definitely
one of the best barbecues yet. This event signaled the commencement of another
great year at Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy.

Big Brother/Big Sister Ice Cream Social
On Friday, September 2, an ice-cream social was held for the 6th and 12th grade
classes. The two grades were able to mingle and get to know each other. During the
social, each 6th grader was paired up with a senior big bro/sis. The seniors are
hoping that the big bro/sis program will make the 6th graders feel more comfortable
at PFTSTA, by providing them with someone to look up, as well as get them more
acquainted with their new school.
In other 6th grade news: each year, the incoming 6th grade selects a color for their
class spirit shirt. This year the class of 2018 picked the color purple! Their new
shirts will be ordered soon!

PFTSTA Student to Write for the Times Picayune :
Each year, the West Bank edition of the Times Picayune offers area high school
students the opportunity to chronicle school activities as student correspondents
for the community news sections.
This year, PFTSTA will be represented by Junior Alexandra Baldassaro.
Alexandra’s column will cover student activities as well as any other newsworthy
Taylor events! Please look for her columns in the community news section of the
Times Picayune – it will be published every other Sunday!

Alumni Announcements:
Graduating with 14 credits, Taylor gave me a huge jump start for college. Now, I attend the
University Of New Orleans and will graduate next spring with a degree in Biology and minor/s
in Business Administration and Chemistry. After graduation, I plan to get a Masters in Hospital
Administration – this will take me about a year to complete. I am still unsure if I want to
attend medical school or not, but by the time I receive my Masters, I will be 21-years-old;
this is possible because of not only the summer classes I have taken, but also the credits I
earned while at Taylor. At UNO, I am the VP of the Latin American student Association at
UNO, an organization I plan to turn around with some great team members! I can honestly
say that I acquired all of my leadership skills at Taylor and would not be half of the person I
am today if I had not attended Taylor. I feel very proud to say that I was a member of the
First in Line…the Class of ’09 – Zeyda Oro
Alums we want to hear from you. Please let us know how you are doing and update us on your
accomplishments – we might highlight you in our next newsletter! pftstaalumni@gmail.com

Helpful Hints from the East Bank Advisory Council:
Parents, do you wonder what it takes to help your kids do their very best at
school? Good Housekeeping went into classrooms at schools around the country
and talked to the teachers who spend their days with your children. Here's what
they said about how you can help them help your kids:
Don't be a stranger!
Talk to your child's teacher early and often. Back-to-school night shouldn't be the
only time you connect, but it's a great time to introduce yourself and find out the
best way to contact her in the future. Then stay in touch with updates on how
things are going at home, questions about your child and his work, or to schedule
conferences to head off trouble (should you worry about that string of C's?). Most
teachers have e-mail at school, which is a great way to check in.
PLEASE JOIN US!
EPAC MEETINGS ARE HELD THE 2nd Monday OF THE MONTH:
7:00P.M. – T.H. HARRIS MIDDLE SCHOOL
Thank you for helping us encourage parents to participate in
children's educational experiences!

SCHOOL COLORS, HEAD TO TOES…SHIRTS TUCKED IN, SPIRIT SHOWS!
P.E. uniforms can be purchased through Taylor's P.E. Department
PFTSTA pull-overs may be purchased from
Mrs. Kathy Hill, Account Clerk, for $25 each.

Information from the PAC:
The Fall PAC Fundraiser commenced on August 26 and will conclude on
September 14. The proceeds from this sale will be used for educational
materials, equipment and projects to benefit all of our students.
The projected delivery date is October 13.
We will be selling a wide selection of incredible delectables, including
cookie dough through school – further, thousands of items through the online store will also be part of the fundraiser. Frozen items are not available online
– only directly through the school.
There was a school-wide kickoff for the PAC Fundraiser on Friday, August 26. All
students received packets to bring home. Important information about the sale
and all incentives were included in the packet – if you have not seen it yet, please
ask your student to show you the packet!
If you would like to take a look at the online store, the web site is:
www.gaschoolstore.com. Our school number to register is 1473131.
We are looking forward to a very successful sale!

AP Courses Beneficial for Students:
For the second year in a row, PFTSTA will offer Advanced Placement (AP)
courses – Taylor teachers and students involved in AP courses are excited and
prepared for the rigorous work that is required to be part of such a class.
According to the College Board, AP courses help students acquire the skills
and habits they will need to be successful in college.
One of the most appealing aspects of taking an AP course is the possibility of
earning college credit. More than 90 percent of four-year colleges in the
United States give students credit on the basis of AP Exam scores. Also
important to note: AP helps students qualify for scholarships – 31 percent of
college and universities look at AP experience when determining scholarships!
AP Environmental Science
– Dr. Simpson

AP English Literature
– Mrs. Srygley

Dr. Simpson’s AP Environmental
Science class picked the Mississippi
River as their study site for an online
project
studying
Earth
Systems
Science. On September 7, students
will participate in a virtual field trip.
This field trip will allow them to meet
with experts who study the Gulf of
Mexico.

Members of the class from left to right:
Fatmeh Ali, Crystal Suggs, Logan Leslie,
Linda Tran, Anthony Tran and Nathalie
Argueta.

The AP English Literature and
Composition course is designed to
engage students in close reading
and critical analysis drawn from
multiple
genres,
periods
and
cultures from 16th century to 21st
century. Students through reading
consider a work’s structure, style,
and themes as well as the use of
figurative
language,
imagery,
symbolism, and tone. AP Literature
and Composition focuses on writing
about literature with emphasis on
the critical analysis of literature and
development of stylistic maturity.
Students
write
expository,
analytical,
and
argumentative
essays as well as exploratory,
informal responses to literature.

News from the School Cafeteria
•

•

•
•
•

•
•

The nutritional content of each food
item listed on school menus have
been compiled from data provided by
the food manufacturer and a USDA
database. This information is then
calculated through the use of Horizon
International Software.
Students with specific medical related
dietary requirements should consult
with their physicians prior to relying
strictly on these calculations.
Doughnuts may be served on a different day than shown on the menu due to
delivery schedules.
Snacks are only offered in schools participating in after-school programs.
Satellite schools whose meals are transported from other sites may have menus
adjusted from what is published. Parents can check with the individual school to
confirm what is being served
School menus can be downloaded from the school system website and Patrick
Taylor’s website.
Please note: SCHOOL MENUS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME!

The Volleyball team will be selling DIG PINK t-Shirts for their DIG PINK volleyball
tournament. The t-shirt sale starts September 7 and ends September 16. T-shirts
will sell for $10 and all money collected will go toward Cancer Awareness. Students
will be allowed to wear their t-shirts on Friday, September 23 and will get into the
tournament for FREE on Saturday, September 24 (at Ridgewood).

Students to Represent Taylor in Leadership Programs:
Juniors Alexandra Baldassaro and Daniel Gutierrez have been selected by Ms.
Zapico to represent Taylor in the Teen Ambassadors Against Crime (TAAC)
Leadership Program. The goal of the TAAC Program is to give students an
opportunity to directly engage with law enforcement and other community
partners while becoming educated and empowered to serve as crime prevention
role models in their communities. Ambassadors will be challenged to address the
"no snitch" culture and to foster the message of empowerment of our Safe School
Program.
Seniors Mohammed Samarr'e, Linda Arellano, and Jenna Zeringue have
been selected by Ms. Zapico to represent Patrick Taylor in the Jefferson Chamber
Youth Leadership Program (JCYL). According to its literature, The primary goal of
the JCYL is to educate current and future community youth leaders about
Jefferson Parish's opportunities, hurdles, and potential in order to strengthen the
sense of community among young professionals.
During the school year,
students participate in six thought-provoking day long sessions once a month that
identify Jefferson Parish's dynamics. The program begins with a mandatory
orientation and ends with a graduation for the class and two guests.

Students in grades 3-12
may practice assessment
and
strengthen
their
skills by going on-line to
www.LouisianaPASS.org
This is a Web-site where
students
have
the
opportunity to practice
tests similar to those on
the
LEAP
21.
We
encourage ALL students
to take advantage of this
test preparation tool. If
you have any questions
about PASS, you may
call
the
Louisiana
Department
of
Education’s toll-free help
line at 1-877-432-4040.
PASS includes multiplechoice, short-answer and
essay questions. Look for
a new test EACH month!

Cafeteria Reminder

Medication Policy

A
Jefferson
Parish
school
NO
CHARGE
policy went into effect
on October 1, 2009. No
student will be able to
“charge” a lunch ion the
cafeteria if they have no
funds in their account.
This does NOT apply to
students who qualify for
the free lunch program.
To sign up for the
MealpayPlus program
where you can add
money to your child’s
account using a check,
credit or debit card and
have
automatic
reminders e-mailed to
you, call 877-713-5436
OR
go
to
www.mealpayplus.com
You will need you child’s
school ID number to set
up an account!

No
medication
can
be
administered to a student
without
proper
written
authorization from BOTH the
parent(s)
and
physician.
Medication and authorization
forms must be brought to the
East Bank Regional Office
where a school nurse will check
for accuracy and approve. After
approval by the school nurse,
parents should then bring
medication
in
a
sealed
envelope to the school office.
Any change in medication, time
or directions must again be
approved by the nurse before
changes
can
be
enacted.
Necessary
forms
may
be
obtained in the office. NO
student may transport or be in
possession of medication or
drugs of ANY kind – this
includes
over-the-counter
medications!

Teens and the Stress of Starting a New School Year, Dr. Ann Gatty
from, http://www.empoweringparents.com/blog/
With the start of a new school year, many teens are busy getting ready, not only by
buying notebooks, pencils and pens, but by finding ways to present a new shiny
image that embraces the latest fashion trends, hairstyles and makeovers. The new
school year signals a new beginning and an opportunity for being noticed. With all
of this planning, there is a lot of pressure on teens and the stress increases along
the way.
On top of that, messages in the media don’t make it any easier for our teens. If
you listen to the what’s being communicated, you hear some recurring themes
along the lines of, “Who you are today isn’t good enough for tomorrow.” Teens find
that they have to continually buy new stuff and spend more just to keep up with
what they perceive is expected of them. Magazines offer many ways for teens to
create a new look that keeps up with the latest trends, catch the perfect guy, and
create a complete face and hair makeover. It’s no wonder that teens and stress go
hand-in-hand. They are continually worried what their friends and peers in their
social circles will think of them.
So what’s a parent to do to help worried teens and stress overload?
Here are four tips I have found helpful.
Make your home a safe haven. Since teenage years are filled with drama,
volatile emotions, steep learning curves and challenging life decisions, the world can
seem like a dangerous place at times. Add to this the social pressures of keeping
up with all of the media expectations with which teens are bombarded. Getting
away from these daily pressures can provide an opportunity to regroup and gain a
healthy perspective. One of the most helpful things I try to offer is a home that is a
safe haven for teens. When they are at home, they can be themselves without
worrying about being criticized for not being up on the latest trend or following the
social rules established by the school cliques. It’s comforting for teens and stress
can be left outside the door.

Be a role model. Dealing with social situations can be difficult for teens and stress
often results from not knowing how to handle conflicts with best friends, or
disappointments over not being chosen for a specific activity. By modeling how I
handle conflicts with friends, or how I handle social events, I am offering my teens
examples that they can try for their own situations.
Offer honest advice. I like to think that I am someone with whom my teens can
talk and ask advice regarding how to handle different situations that arise in their
lives. I do not try to be a best friend, but I do try to be someone who is
approachable and honest with advice when asked for my opinion.
Encourage your teens to discover and develop their own talents. During
these years, teens are trying to discover who they are and what they should do with
their lives when they grow up. Helping teens identify and discover how to use these
talents is a self confidence boost and it reduces stress as a result. It’s great when
teens start to become proud of their unique abilities and stop worrying about trying
to fit in with others’ expectations.
Teens and their high levels of stress will always be a topic of discussion for parents,
but finding ways to make these years less filled with turmoil will lower the likelihood
of emotional outbursts and help your teen be more comfortable with who he is in
his own skin.
These are my tips to help teens adjust to the start of a new school year. What are
yours?
Dr. Ann Gatty is the mother of two young adult boys. She is also a life
coach, author and organizational strategist, and she hosts a website which
offers stress management strategies, life skill development, and a means of
finding your true passion in life. You can also find Dr. Gatty’s “Stress
Management 4 Women” on Facebook.

Patrick F. Taylor Science and
Technology Academy

Grandparents Club

ptaylorgpclub@gmail.com
Dear Parents,
Patrick Taylor Academy is in the process of forming a Grandparents Club. Our main
objective will be to raise money to supplement the needs of the students and the
classrooms. The club will also be an enjoyable way for grandparents to meet and
make friends for years to come. Our goal is to have all grandparents join. Some
grandparents live out-of-state, work full time, or are physically incapable of
participating in school activities. If this is the case, they can simply pay their dues
of only $10 per year and they’ll still be helping their grandchildren.
There is absolutely NO mandatory involvement or commitment.
I’m asking you to help me by filling in the info on the attached form. We will be
using the info requested on the attached form to mail Membership Forms to the
grandparents.
Please include the grandparents’ names.
By joining our
Grandparents Club, their dues & donations contribute to benefit the kids.
During the school year, the Grandparents Club will communicate by email, so please
be sure that all email addresses are correct & are printed clearly. Please just
include your email address if your parents don’t have email, so you can pass along
info to them.
I will be sending out emails about the Grandparents Club meeting, breakfast with
the grandparents, Spring Fling, school events, Bake Sales, etc. It’s just another
way to keep us grandparents ‘in the know’.
If you prefer to pay the dues for your parents, please indicate this and include your
name and address on the form also. Thanks for your cooperation.
All donations over the $10 dues are accepted & greatly appreciated.
Our largest Annual Fund Raiser is this collection of membership dues at the
beginning of each school year.
Thanks for your cooperation,
Debbie Mahl
504-780-7636 or 914-1678
* Please return the following form to advisory teachers by Wednesday, September 8

PATRICK F. TAYLOR SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY
GRANDPARENTS CLUB
We want to invite all grandparents (also great-grandparents and all ‘adopted’
grandparents) to join the Patrick Taylor Academy Grandparents Club.
We ask that you include all grandparents . . . even those who work fulltime and
those who don’t live nearby. Please explain to your parents that there is absolutely
NO commitment involved. (Please note: We won’t be mailing forms to other
countries.)
If you prefer to pay the dues for your parents, please indicate this and include your
name and address on the form also. Please put additional info on back of form.
E-mail addresses are very important. Please make sure they are accurate. PLEASE
DO NOT SEND PAYMENT WITH THIS FORM
Student/s Info:
Name__________________________________________________ Grade_______
Name__________________________________________________ Grade_______
Name__________________________________________________ Grade_______